Final Meeting
by twilly17103
Summary: Zuko and Katara finally meet up with their old friend, Toph Beifong, after decades of separation. One-shot


**A/N- Hey! I'm back! It's been a while since I last posted something on here. Anyway, this is my return one-shot. **

**As I always stated before. I own nothing here except the minuscule plot. No characters, no places, nothing. **

* * *

><p>"Zuko…"<p>

Katara smiled; there was once a day when the former Firelord woke up with the sun, now his age has stopped that old habit.

"Zuko, we're here." She repeated. The old firebender stirred on the pile of blankets he was resting against. Tenzin allowed the two elders to borrow a flying bison in exchange for babysitting Rohan for a week, a deal they knew they would have a hard time not regretting.

"Here?" Zuko said groggily before remembering what that meant. "We're here!" He jumped up, nearly scaring Katara off the saddle of the bison. "Why didn't you wake me up sooner?"

Katara smiled. "I tried but you don't wake up as easily as you used to."

"That might be because we aren't under attack by random rebel factions anymore." Zuko sighed and began knotting his moon-white hair into his signature style. "Not saying I preferred that though."

"I know what you mean."

A small moment of silence existed between the two before Katara broke it by pointing downward off the saddle. "She's supposed to be down there, in that section of the swamp."

Zuko moved himself towards the reins and gently eased the bison towards an opening in the dense foliage. The smell of the dank swamp was just barely noticeable high up in the air but as the two elders lowered, the stench became almost intoxicating. The tops of the trees brushed the feet of the bison and their vision became encased with various shades of green. Sooner than they knew though, the soft "oomph" of the bison's feet touching the ground seemingly echoed in the ancient forest.

Almost immediately, Katara gently lowered herself off the bison and took a look around.

"This place hasn't changed much since the last time I was here, decades ago."

Her shoes found themselves just barely stuck in the mud and Katara had to move to break free of its grip. She was nearly blinded by the green hues of everything around her, from trees to bushes to vines to the water. Everything was nearly exactly the same in the swamp, even the memories.

Zuko sighed and slid off the bison himself. "The only change I'd say that happened here was Kuvira's harvesting of the spirit vines from the Banyan-Grove Tree. "

"Yeah, that woman nearly caused the vines to even turn on _me_ of all people!"

The stray voice amid the sounds of the swamp caused both Zuko and Katara to jump. They turned and saw a much shorter woman staring at them. "Good thing she's gone though. That "new Team Avatar" is really a top-notch force." She winked. "But don't tell them I said that."

Zuko was first to react and he grinned upon seeing his old friend. "Toph!" He said before running up to her and crushing her in a hug. Katara was mere milliseconds behind and joined her two best friends in the family-hug.

"It's good to see you!" Katara said excitedly. "But how'd you know we were here?" Both her and Zuko backed off and allowed the blind earthbender to speak.

Toph scoffed. "Please, I've known you were coming for a long time. I can see the entire world thanks to the roots of the swamp!"

"You haven't changed a bit." Zuko said as he patted Toph on the back.

She slapped his hand away. "I can tell you're lying, Zuko, remember? If anything, we've just broken the record for the largest collection of wrinkles in a 20 mile radius since my grandma visited me in Ba Sing Se!"

Katara sighed. "Yep, she hasn't changed at all."

"Don't pretend you didn't miss my genius remarks." Toph chuckled, spun, and began walking into the swamp. "Now won't you come to my home for a cup of tea?"

Zuko and Katara nodded and followed their old friend into the forest of vines and branches. It wasn't long before they came into another opening in the horrible vine-infested jungle.

"Home sweet home!" Toph yelled as she sprawled out on a giant boulder.

Katara stared up at the easily 10-foot tall boulder that lay seemingly out of place in the jungle. "This is your home? Korra said you actually had a house inside the swamp."

Toph patted the boulder, causing it to noticeably shake. "Yeah, I got bored with the same old hut every single day and night, so I decided to change things up a little. Probably the best idea I've had in years!"

Zuko walked up to the boulder and put his hand on it. Toph snickered and tapped her pinky-finger onto the stone surface. Feet below, the piece of rock that Zuko had his hand on shot outward, scaring the old firebender into walking back to Katara.

"Sorry Zuko, I'm just making up for the decades I haven't been able to mess with you guys!"

"Yeah, it's fine." The former Firelord said as he approached the boulder again. This time, Katara walked with him. Toph hit her fist onto the rock and three chairs shot out and onto the ground in front of her friends. She jumped down and sat at one of the chairs, pulling a small pitcher of tea from seemingly nowhere.

Toph spoke as she poured the tea into three stone cups as Katara and Zuko carefully sat down. "So, what brings you two to search out an old geezer like me? Another war brewing you need me for?"

Katara took a sip of her tea; it was surprising delicious despite probably being made from swamp water. "We actually came to talk for old time's sake. I don't think we talk enough."

"Enough? This is probably the first time we've spoken in decades. Unless there's a time in there that I don't remember." The old earthbender stomped on the ground and a small coffee table formed in the space between the three chairs. She promptly propped her feet on top of it.

Zuko cleared his throat and garnered the attention onto him. "It's not like we haven't tried to talk to you. We only knew you were here because Korra somehow found you."

"I had my reasons to sever myself from the social world." Toph waved her arm in dismissal. "I needed to find my own enlightenment on this world that's always trying to force destiny on you."

"At the cost of never seeing your children and friends?" Katara butted in. "You went years without seeing Lin and Su, let alone us!" Her eyes softened and Toph could feel her emotions change. "Aang missed you."

Toph tried hard not to allow that to faze her, but obviously failed as Zuko spoke more gently. "Though he died relatively young, he often talked about how he wanted to see you one last time."

Toph sat up straight and crossed her arms. "Alright did you look for me only to make me feel bad or did you have another reason!?"

Katara leaned forward on her stone chair and reached for Toph's hand. Reluctantly, the earthbender allowed this. "All we wish is to speak with our old friend, Toph Beifong. As hard as it may seem to register, we're old now. This might be the last time we're all together in one place…"

Toph looked down and poured out what remained of her tea. The brownish liquid mixed with the already green water on the ground. "Yeah…I'm not young and spry anymore, I've realized that." She gazed back at Zuko and Katara with a small smile. "I can't say I'm not looking forward to seeing Twinkle-toes again though."

Zuko too leaned forward and put his hand over top Katara's and Toph's. "I think we all secretly are."

The three war heroes stared at each other in a moment of silence before Toph sharply pulled her hand away. "Well that got depressing fast."

Both Zuko and Katara pulled their hands back and looked at each other. The firebender shrugged. "I guess since you've been in here for so long, do you have any questions about the world or anything?"

Toph tapped her lip with her pointer finger. "Well I can see the entire world but I don't know why most of what goes on happens. How _is_ that new Team Avatar anyway?"

Katara leaned back against the stone chair, allowing her bones to rest. "As far as I know, Bolin and Mako are doing fine. Korra and Asami still haven't returned from their 'vacation' in the Spirit World so I don't know how they're doing."

Toph jumped up. "So that's where they went! I was wondering how two people could be on dry land one second and just disappear! My vision doesn't stretch into the Spirit World."

Zuko rubbed the back of his hair and looked downward. "Yeah, we weren't expecting them to leave at all. Whatever makes her happy, I guess."

Toph put her stone gaze on the old firebender. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, Korra and Asami went into the Spirit World together." Katara began. "Based on their actions before they left, everyone is sure they had romantic intentions on the other side of the portal."

"Soooo…Korra's bisexual now?"

"Yep. At least that's what we think."

Both of the war heroes braced to hear of Toph's reaction, only for the earthbender to wave her hand and pour herself another cup of tea.

"If she bats for both teams, that's fine by me I guess."

"Well that was simple." Katara deadpanned. She glanced off behind Toph into the swamp. "Anything else you want to know while we're here?"

Toph sat for a minute and pondered any further questions. Finally she shook her head. "Not that I can think of. You answered the only question I had."

Zuko raised an eyebrow. "You stayed in this swamp for years and only had one question about the state of the world?"

"Hey, I moved here for a reason. I wanted to detach from the world, not rejoin it."

Katara looked downward at the small amount of tea she had remaining in her cup. Suddenly an idea popped into her head that made her grin. "Hey Toph, why don't you _rejoin_ the world in another way?"

The earthbender's face wrinkled in both confusion and weariness. "What do you mean?"

Katara nudged Zuko with her elbow and switched between looking at him and Toph. "How about we borrow a sky bison from my son and travel the world again? Just the three of us, for old time's sake."

Toph was silent but Zuko immediately spoke. "Are you sure that's a good idea? With the Avatar gone for who knows how long, we could be needed to help stabilize the world."

Katara scoffed. "We're ancient now; the world's been doing just fine without us. Besides, we can journey around the Earth Kingdom for a bit to help the poor-villages."

Zuko stroked his beard and hummed. Katara was reminded for a faint second of the very same gesture the original Iroh used to do. Meanwhile, Toph stood up and stared at her old waterbending friend. She took a deep breath and began.

"I came here to be secluded from the world's issues and find my enlightenment. I've been here for many years and am ironically connected with the world through the many vines and spiritual connections. I guess since being here I've found my enlightenment in one way or another. I have no interest in leaving though since I love this swamp, and based on the fact that I've lived here for so long I think it loves me too." Toph chuckled and patted the damp floor she stood on.

Katara looked downward in disappointment. "It was just an idea to get the old gang ba—"

"But!" Toph pointed upward with shocking speed. Her face warmed up and garnered a smile. "I'd love to accompany you two around the world. For old time's sake, of course."

Katara laughed and went over to hug her friend. Instead of reciprocating, Toph jumped over and hugged the aged firebender. "Only as long as Zuko comes though!" She spurted out.

Zuko struggled to get out of the earthbender's grip but sighed when he realized there was no use. He motioned for Katara to join and the three hugged. "I guess I'll come. I'm sure the world can handle itself. It's been doing a pretty good job without our assistance so far."

Toph broke the hug and shot the stone furniture back into the ground with a single stomp. "Wooh! Team Avatar is back in business!" She sighed and shrugged before speaking much softer. "At least what's left of it."

Katara patted her old friend's back and looked out at the dense foliage surrounding them. "Can you lead us back to our sky bison so we can begin? I kind of forgot how we got here."

Toph grinned and marched back into the viney-mess that gripped the landscape with Katara and Zuko following close behind. All three donned excited smiles at the thought of being together again. Potentially, for the last time. A few minutes later, three separate laughs echoed throughout the swamp and a sky bison emerged from the canopy of the trees.

"We first need to go back and tell my son what we're doing!" Katara yelled amid the air shooting in her ears from the fast-takeoff. "I'm sure he'll agree!"

The feeling of Tenzin's inevitable disagreeing covered the three, but they didn't care. They were together again for old time's sake. And they would travel the world just like the used to. Back in the days when Team Avatar was whole. For now though, ½ of the group is better than none…

**The End**

* * *

><p><strong>AN-Well, there you go. I had to make sure and post this idea before someone beat me to the punch. I hope nobody did already? **

**Based on my return, I'm going to need to fix a few things on my "list" of stories. I notice a TON of errors in most of them and I'll probably head back and fix them up. Make them look/sound/read better. Whatever that order occurs in hasn't been decided yet. Either way, it's good to be back. **


End file.
